The Governor of Ebonyi state, David Nweze Umahi has ordered the immediate arrest and prosecution of the State APC Chairman, Chief Stanley Emegha and the Candidate for Afikpo North/Afikpo South Federal Constituency, Chief Eni Uduma Chima for their alleged roles in the murder of three persons in Ekoli Edda area of the state.
Governor Umahi gave the directive during an on-the-spot assessment of the level of damages in the area.
He also directed the Commissioner of Police to arrest all those connected with the carnage and ensure they face justice. The Governor while announcing the suspension of all social gatherings in Edda until normalcy returned, urged the Commissioner of Police to saturate the area with security presence to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
Background
The Editor Nigeria gathered that three persons lost their lives during a clash at Ekoli Edda community in Afikpo South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State on Monday evening.
The deceased have been identified as 39-year-old Eseni Kalu Egwu, a younger brother to the state Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Eme Orji, and an Inspector of Police attached to Special Protection Unit (SPU).
Orji and the inspector were allegedly eliminated in a reprisal attack over the killing of the community leader.
The state Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Chris Anyanwu said that irate youth equally set ablaze the house belonging to the state APC chairman including an official Toyota Hilux van and a Toyota SIENNA space bus belonging to the Police Command’s Tactical Teams.
“At about 1630hrs of 26/12/2022, a day popularly known as ‘Boxing Day’, a distress call was received that sporadic shootings and killings were going on at Ekoli-Edda between Ebubeagu operatives who accompanied their boss, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, the state’s APC Chairman, and another group of men purported to be loyalists to the immediate past Council Chairman, Hon Dr Chima Eni, who is also the APC flag-bearer for House of Representatives in the area.
“The two political gladiators at the middle of the whole imbroglio have been placed on protective custody to douse the tension in the area, while a scrupulous investigation has been activated by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of SCIID here in Ebonyi State.”
